The Miami Dolphins had deep pockets to dive headfirst into the 2013 NFL free agent pool. They wasted no time in reeling in the biggest fish, former Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace. But they should be more confident in the surprising splashes they made to upgrade their defense.

It was no secret the Dolphins wanted Wallace. They were desperately seeking a true No. 1, big-play wideout to help the progression of 2012 first-round quarterback Ryan Tannehill. They paid a lofty price to land that luxury, however, giving Wallace a reported five-year, $60 million contract with $30 million guaranteed. At those numbers, it's already not enough if Wallace produces just at the Pro Bowl level he reached for Pittsburgh two seasons ago.

Then consider they spent a little more than $60 million total to add two new starting linebackers, Dannell Ellerbe (Ravens) and Philip Wheeler (Raiders). Those moves caught the league off guard, given the Dolphins began the day with veterans Karlos Dansby and Kevin Burnett set to keep manning the middle and weak side of their 4-3 defense. They ended up with Ellerbe and Wheeler at those respective positions, and released Dansby and Burnett. Miami also got younger, faster and much better against the pass with the additions of Ellerbe and Wheeler.

Ellerbe, 27, cashed in on his breakout campaign during Baltimore's run through winning Super Bowl XLVII. Likewise, Wheeler, 28, was coming off the best season of his career and his first in Oakland after not being a full-time starter in Indianapolis.

Both players were prolific tacklers last season, and also produced as blitzers. Wheeler had 109 total tackles and three sacks, while Ellerbe had 92 total tackles and 4.5 sacks.

Dansby and Burnett were both on the other side of 30, and their best years were behind them.

As much as the Dolphins needed the offensive sizzle that Wallace brings to better compete with the AFC East-dominating New England Patriots, Miami couldn't afford to stay complacent with their defense.

The Dolphins had been strong against the run, but two offseasons removed in their transition from a 3-4 base defense, they needed quicker, rangier guys who could both cover intermediate routes and get after the quarterback. In other words, Miami needed to match up better with Tom Brady and New England's passing game.

As for Miami's own passing game, many things need to go right for the Wallace signing to be close to worth it. It's on Wallace, fresh from his fallout with the Steelers, to prove that he's more than just a speedy home-run threat and more of a complete receiver. It's also on Tannehill, a lanky, mobile passer, to take a much bigger step in Year 2 and try to develop the same kind of connection a well-established Ben Roethlisberger had with Wallace.

With left tackle Jake Long and feature running back Reggie Bush out the door, the Dolphins are about to count on second-year players in their place, Jonathan Martin and Lamar Miller. Tannehill needs steady pass protection to allow Wallace to stretch the field with his routes, and a steady running game to set up deep shots off play-action. The Dolphins re-signed Brian Hartline to be the team's No. 2 receiver, but he's not quite the complementary receiver that the Steelers' Antonio Brown is, meaning Wallace will still need to prove he can better handle being double-teamed.

The pressure was on Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland, who is riding one of the hottest seats in the NFL, to make a big move. Given the green light to spend millions of owner Stephen Ross' billions this offseason, he couldn't afford to come away from the first day without a headliner signing.

Wallace works as the attention-grabbing move that addressed a glaring weakness. But as we've learned in NFL free agencies past, the biggest names with the biggest contracts also carry the most risk. Although Ellerbe and Wheeler might seem like the page two material in Miami, they were the better, smarter moves for the Dolphins.